The Dove's choice
by kay.ro624
Summary: Although my primary focus will still be on Raven Prince and the Painter's Puzzle I was inspired to try my hand at a Jiper story. No Jiper is not my otp, not even in the pjo/hoo universe but I thought id give it a try. This will be updated infrequently with a series of short chapters. When Jason appears fatally injured Piper is left with no clue how to help him. Can she save him?
1. Chapter 1

**What was taking him so long? Piper didn't know. She didn't know if she wanted to know. Jason was more than an hour late, which was highly unlike her rule abiding boyfriend. Something must have happened to him, that much was clear, but what? Piper was fishing in her pocket for a golden drachma when she saw a blond boy emerge from the crowd of mortals, he was limping and his head was bowed. Piper raced toward him, as she closed the distance she noticed a dark stain on his shirt, quickly growing. Dread filled piper's stomach, seeming to drag her down. Jason glued up at her.**

 **"Sorry I'm late." He croaked. Jason tried to take another step, and close the distance between them, but his legs buckled, his eyes rolled, and Jason collapsed.**

 **"No!" Piper shrieked, hardly aware of the staring mortals. The blood was looking faster. Jason coughed, blood staining his lips. She trickled a few drops of Nectar into his mouth but Jason began to heave, Blood and Nectar spilling out. "Sorry! Jason no! I'm so sorry!" Nectar might save him but Piper was afraid he would choke before it did any good.**

 **"P- Pipes." he croaked "pipes. I'm just glad you're the last…" Piper knew where that was going.**

 **"No!" she shrieked again, tears spilling down her cheeks and blurring her vision. "Don't talk like that! You're going to be… you're going to be fi..." Finally Piper saw what Jason knew all along, there was nothing she could do to help him. She collapsed down on his chest, shaking with sobs, her grieving tears mixing with his drying blood. She felt Jason's weak hand close around hers. Even when Jason is a breath away from death he's the one comforting her, he's always there to comfort her but he won't ever be there to comfort her again.**


	2. Chapter 2

**"Oh isn't this touching!" a voice cried. Piper looked up her eyes still blurry with tears. Beside her stood the most beautiful woman Piper had ever seen.**

 **"Mom?" Piper whispered her voice raw with crying.**

 **"Yes darling! And isn't this sweet! Aphrodite's daughter having to accept that there is nothing she can do to save the one she loves. " This brought on more sobs from Piper.**

 **"Can you do anything?" she cried, desperation plain in her voice.**

 **"Well yes." Aphrodite admitted "My beauty cream could fix him right up, plus take the sharp edge off that tan." Piper couldn't believe it! Jason might survive after all.**

 **"Yes!" She exclaimed. Jason's breath was more ragged by the second.**

 **"Are you sure darling?" Aphrodite asked. Detached pity clinging to her voice, only slightly more emotion than that of someone who had just witnessed a sad movie. His fate is sealed. All I can do is postpone it." So she would still lose Jason, maybe not today, but she would still be forced to live without him.**

 **"Yes." said Piper, a shake in her voice. "Any time with Jason is better than none at all." Aphrodite beamed**

 **"How adorable!" With a puff of pink Piper's mother disappeared. As Piper watched the blood disappeared from Jason's chest and the color return to his cheeks. His blue eyes fluttered open and locked with her multicolored ones.**

 **"sup beauty queen" Piper laughed weakly, all new tears streaming down her cheeks.**

 **"I never said you could call me that, Sparky" Piper blushed when she noticed she was still sitting on Jason's lap, but he didn't seem to mind and she was in no hurry to move. He gave her that smile she loved.**

 **"That's a new one." without thinking Piper lurched forward and their lips met. She might not have forever with Jason, but she was determined not to waste a second.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Piper hadn't been able to see Jason as often as she would have hoped. He had been spending a lot of time at camp Jupiter, and when he was at camp half blood They weren't in many classes together, since the Aphrodite cabin didn't like to do much, and even though she could make them as head counselor, piper never wanted to be like Drew, and force her cabin to do things they didn't want to. Whenever Piper did see Jason she half expected to see him appear with a stab wound or something of the sort. She felt the relief whenever she could verify that her boyfriend was still intact. She was quiet around him, and almost afraid to touch him, as though one might behave around a priceless piece of art, that could fall apart at any moment.** ** _Priceless art? Fall apart at any moment?_** **That described Jason perfectly. She new Jason noticed her change in demeanor, and as much as she wanted to strangle him in a hug whenever she saw him she couldn't bring herself to do anything but sit next to him, whisper, and marvel at the art. When Jason was saved, piper was beyond thrilled. Kissing every inch of him, just to be sure it was still him. That euphoria only lasted a few hours, before the reality of Aphrodite's words set in. "I can only postpone it." At first Piper was confident in her choice but soon she began to question her motives. Was it right to keep Jason alive purely because she couldn't stand to be without him? Had she just sentenced him to a more brutal and painful death instead? Piper knew exactly what her boyfriend would say, "Pipes, you were following your heart, even if it might be worse on my end I would never ask you to change your choice." For some reason that made piper feel even worse.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Piper stared at her food. A simple PBJ, that was apparently far more interesting than the supermodel sitting next to her. Jason fixed her with his heart melting blue gaze.**

 **"** **Pipes, what bugging you?" Piper shifted uncomfortably.**

 **"** **It's nothing." Jason wasn't having it. He leaned closer, His eyes were troubled. They seemed to ripple like the clearest spring. Did he know the affect those eyes had on her? Making her want to do anything and everything to bring them peace? Her charmspeak was nothing compared to this.**

 **"** **Piper." He pressed. Piper had to fight with every fiber in her being not to tell him everything. She just couldn't. If Jason found out he'd go all noble and piper would never ease her guilt then. Plus she hated the idea of scaring her seemingly un-scarable boyfriend. Even Jason couldn't be brave knowing about his own imminent death. Looking at him Piper couldn't picture him afraid, but it wasn't a risk she was willing to take.**

 **"** **It's fine. Nothing is bothering me. Let's all just forget about this and move on." Piper didn't mean to charmspeak him, but she couldn't help it. Some part of her subconscious knew Jason wouldn't leave it alone otherwise.**

 **"** **OK. But you know you can tell me anything." Jason might have believed his own words. But he had no idea how wrong he could be.**


	5. Chapter 5

****Unlike Jason, Piper was no superman. She couldn't do this alone. There was really only one other person she trusted as much as Jason. Annabeth. Wearily she approached the Athena cabin. She knocked on the door and was greeted by one of Annabeth's siblings. She recognized him, but for the life of her, couldn't seemed to remember his name. He clearly knew her. That always made her feel terrible.****

 ** **"If you're looking for Annabeth, she's in the strawberry fields with Percy." He said, predicting her request. She thanked him hurriedly and rushed of.****

 ** **Piper found Annabeth easily enough. She was having a picnic with her boyfriend, like a normal person should be able to do. Percy tried to feed her a strawberry and Annabeth gave him a playful shove, sending the son of Poseidon tumbling into a bush. They both threw back their heads and laughed. Piper couldn't remember the last time she felt like that. completely at ease, able to goof around with her boyfriend without worrying he'd shatter.****

 ** **Not wanting to disturb them, but unable to handle her mixed up emotions, Piper approached the couple. Annabeth picked up on Piper's mood immediately, gray eyes narrowing, smile fading, she sat up straighter, visibly stiffening. Percy, on the other hand was completely oblivious and attempted to give Annabeth yet another strawberry. Annabeth's eyes were stormy, as soon as she locked gaze with Percy he muttered a hello and goodbye to Piper and hurried away. Piper felt a pang of jealousy. Annabeth and Percy didn't even need words, they knew each other so well. Annabeth was just as hardened as Jason, but Percy could open her up in a way Piper never could with Jason. She often felt she hardly knew him at all.****

 ** **"What is it?" Annabeth's voice was suspicious.****

 ** **"Jason's going to die!" Piper blurted, tears beginning to stream. She had been holding it in so long. With Annabeth she didn't have to always be strong, and she cracked. "H-he almost died but mom healed him b-but she said he would anyway!" Piper knew she was being incoherent but Annabeth seemed to be following well enough. "What do I do?"****

 ** **"I don't know Piper." Annabeth admitted. "This is up to you."****


	6. Chapter 6

****Piper was devastated. She had counted on Annabeth's counsel but she had done nothing. Jason still pressed Piper for information but she always resisted.****

 ** **One day Jason cornered her at breakfast. She had expected yet another interrogation, but what she got was even worse.****

 ** **"Guess what Pipes?" Jason grinned. "I have a quest!"****

 ** **"W-what?!" Piper gasped. She was horrified. How could Jason go on a quest when his life was so fragile?****

 ** **"I just talked to Chiron. He wants me to fetch Apollo's lyre. Apparently he forgot it at a concert he was putting on for some satyrs. Shouldn't be any trouble." Satyrs are usually friendly, aside from coach hedge, and for a normal demigod this quest should have been a walk in the park, but for Jason, Piper feared even the most simple quests could take a serious turn for the worst.****

 ** **"Who are you taking?" Piper was sure he'd pick her but didn't want to seem cocky about it.****

 ** **"I was going to take Coach and Reyna."**** ** _ **Reyna?**_** ** **The praetor was often at camp, overseeing the new bridge being built between the Romans and the Greeks, every so often she would bring a cohort and have them join in. Currently the daughter of Bellona was staying in the Ares cabin. Although she fix more with the Athena kids, some of Annabeth's siblings were less than welcoming. Piper saw Reyna around, and although she made her peace with Jason's might-have-been girlfriend, things were still awkward. It hurt that Jason had chosen her, over his actual girlfriend to accompany him on his quest. She could feel her face fall. Jason saw it too. "It's just because she knows the coach and might work better on a satyr quest, I already asked her but if you want to come I could..."****

 ** **"No Jason, it's fine." She hated to see his torn expression, but she felt she was charm speaking herself at least as much as him. "You're right. Reyna should go. Good luck." After an awkward embrace she watched Jason, Reyna, and the coach meet up with Argus and disappear over the hill.****


	7. Chapter 7

**Piper had no clue what she was thinking. As soon has the camp van had left her sights she had raced to the stables. Several Pegasus whinnied their greetings and Piper jumped on the first one she saw. Blackjack. Piper had some experience with Percy's ride. He had helped her break up a would-be fatal dual between Percy and Jason once before. She hoped that little adventure had earned her enough respect in the winged horse's eyes that he would tolerate a little unplanned excursion. unfortunately it was not. Fortunately large amounts of sugar cube did the trick. Soon Piper was soaring over Manhattan, closely perusing the camp van.**

 **Piper had plenty of experience riding Pegasus bareback. Blackjack followed her commands flawlessly and always stayed just out of sight of the van's four passengers. He must have done something like this before. It often surprised Piper how much longer half bloods like Jason and Annabeth had been at this. Even Percy's Pegasus must have been on more quests than she had.**

 **Finally Argus pulled over. Piper landed Blackjack on a roof a peered over the edge. Reyna had her purple Praetor's robes and wore her hair in her usual braid. The Coach was already brandishing his bat, and Jason was perfect as always. He wore is camp Jupiter shirt, but his Camp Half Blood necklace lay across it. He smiled at Reyna and Piper's heart screamed. That should be her! Jealousy aside Piper was almost glad Reyna was with him. As One of those powerful demigods Piper knew, Reyna would have one of the best chances to defend Jason. After a fleeting goodbye Argus left the three and drove off. After a quick regroup they seemed ready to go.**


End file.
